Lead Service Line Inventory

The City of Wilson is committed to providing safe drinking water to all our residents. Due to recent revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule by the EPA, the City of Wilson, and all larger cities across the country, are required to create a mapped inventory of water service line materials throughout the City for any homes built in or prior to 1986, and make it publicly available by the rule compliance date of October 2024. Lead piping and lead solder were banned in 1986 and therefore, if your home was built after that date, it is not suspected to have any lead piping or lead solder joints in its construction.

The City of Wilson must inventory and categorize drinking water service line materials for all homes within our service area built in or prior to 1986; this includes both the system-owned and customer-owned portion. This survey is meant to help us collect information on the customer-owned portion. If we are unable to identify your piping material through this survey, we may have to dig a small hole in your yard near the water meter to determine the piping material.

To see if the service line material has been identified on your property, please visit the link of the interactive map below and enter your address in the search bar.

Lead Service Line Map - City of Wilson

Example Letter - Galvanized Service Line

Example Letter - Unknown Service Line

Determining Pipe Type - Useful Information:

You can identify the material used in your service line through a visual inspection at the point where the water service line enters your home (not at your meter box). Find the section of plumbing that enters your home near the foundation, usually in the crawl space, or basement; there is often a valve at that location. Be careful not to confuse it with the sewer or gas line. Temporarily remove any insulation on the pipe, then you can scrape a small section of the pipe with a coin or screwdriver if it is dirty or discolored, and use a strong magnet to test the pipe. Remember to replace the insulation if you removed it earlier.

•           If the scraped area is shiny and silver, your service line may be lead. A magnet will not stick to a lead pipe.

•           If the scraped area remains a dull gray, and a magnet sticks to the surface, your service line is galvanized steel.

•           If the scraped area is copper in color, like a penny, your service line is copper. A magnet will not stick.

•           The plumbing material may be plastic. In this case, it would appear to be plastic not metal, usually blue, white, or black, and of course, a magnet will not stick to it.

You may be eligible for a $25 dollar credit on your utility bill for positively identifying your piping material. To report your service line material, please click the following link and fill out the form. Lead Service Line Form 

Need help or have questions? Email your name, phone number, and question to CCR@wilsonnc.org.